Haruto's Epiphany
by somethingborrowed3
Summary: If you look up in the sky after falling down, the blue sky is stretching limitless and smile at me, at least I'm alive. I'm alive." Haruto thinks back to his time with Aya. HaruAya.


池內亞也

**I'm having problems writing dialogue in English for a Japanese drama – so bear with me if there are some noticeable issues with the dialogue. :)**

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"Mizuki-chan!"

Mizuki turned around and faced Haruto. "Yes, sensei?"

"I just wanted to make sure. You're taking the pills and going to rehab, right?"

"Yes. I continued reading Aya-san's diary. It's very well written and it inspires me greatly."

Haruto nodded. "Yes, she was a very inspirational writer. Forgive me, Aya-san, but when I first met her, she seemed to me just like another giggly girl. But when she started showing symptoms of the disease – she looked at the world in a whole new way."

Mizuki nodded. "A-and also...her writing...will that happen to me too?"

Haruto nodded sadly. "The disease is progressing far slower with Mizuki-chan than with Aya-san, most likely because of our increased ability to slow down the disease's progression. Make sure to continue taking the pills. Aya-san would give anything to have those things back when she was still at the hospital."

Mizuki nodded. "Yes, sensei."

Haruto smiled. "Good night, Mizuki-chan."

"Good night, sensei."

"_If you look up in the sky after falling down, the blue sky is stretching limitless and smile at me, at least I'm alive. I'm alive."_

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"Aso-kin, how's Mizuki-chan doing?"

"Better. Much better. Your sister has always dreamed about helping people. She was so happy when I read aloud a postcard from another spinocerbellar ataxia patient – telling her that she had helped even one soul before she died."

Ako shook her head. "She didn't just help that one patient. Everyone around her was affected. If it weren't for her, I would never have graduated from Higashikou. You would never have taken the entrance exam either, Aso-kun. And Mizuki-chan...she would still be dumping her pills down the sink."

Haruto nodded. "If she were here today, I'm sure she would be very proud. But let's look to the future. With new stem cell funding, perhaps we can find a cure to completely stop the degeneration of cerebellum tissue."

Ako nodded. "Mmm. Aso-kun is right. "_People shouldn't dwell on the past, it's enough to try your best in all that you're doing now."_"

Haruto smiled. "You really are Aya-san's younger sister."

"Thanks, Aso-kun. Good night."

Haruto bowed. "Good night, Ako-san."

Leaving Ako behind, Haruto slowly traveled towards the front doors. He pulled out his cell phone and stared at the dolphin chain, dangling in front of his eyes. Funny. He'd managed to avoid thinking about Aya much since her death – even avoiding going to her tombstone. When Mizuno-sensei and the other doctors were dissecting Aya's brain, he avoided the hospital altogether.

Yet now...when Mizuki brought out Aya's story out of him, it felt like a great burden was lifted off his shoulders. The more he thought about Aya, the more he knew that Aya would never approve of him hiding inside that shell of his. She told him: _"Live. Live on forever."_ She never told him to live on inside a shell. Today was an epiphany for him – an eye opener. He stopped by his office to pick up his lunch container – still uneaten – and to pick up Ako's portrait of the Ikeuchi family.

Hugging the frame tightly, lest something happen to it, Haruto left the hospital and out into the pouring rain. Funny. Today...the day that he finally accepts Aya's death, it rains. It almost seems as if Aya doesn't want him to believe that she's dead it, and is unleashing her anger on him. Or maybe it was just a coincidence. Yeah, that's right, just a coincidence.

But Haruto couldn't wave down a taxi while standing under the overhang. The street is where the taxis are – and anyway, taxis usually don't like to pick up wet people. He'd have to spend the night at the hospital, then. There was some data that he was hoping to process anyway.

"Sensei?"

"Mizuki-chan! What are you doing out of your room?" Haruto asked. He grabbed Mizuki's wheelchair and pushed her towards the elevator. "You could catch a cold! That wouldn't be good at all..."

"Sorry, sensei. It-it's just that I can't sleep."

Haruto sighed. "Well, I'm going to be staying at the hospital overnight. Would you like something?"

Mizuki nodded. "You never answered my original question. Were you Aya-san's boyfriend?"

Haruto sighed. "Well, as you most likely gathered from my story...it's a very complicated business. Ah, here we are. Come on, Mizuki, into the bed."

"Yes, sensei." After Mizuki was comfortably tucked in, she reached for the endtable and grasped Aya's book. "It says right here," she pointed to a bookmarked page, "she has an entire section devoted to you."

Haruto grabbed the book. "R-really?"

Mizuki looked at Haruto. "You never read it?"

"No...after Aya died...I-I just kind of went into this shell. I tried to ignore Aya and everything about her. It worked fine for about five years...until you came along. As I told you my story, I too came to a realization - an epiphany. Staying inside my self-induced shell isn't going to help anyone. By denying the patients my attention, I was doing exactly the opposite of what I told Aya I would do. The more I thought about it, the more I knew that I must find a cure for this disease. If I can't do it for Aya, then I will do it for you." Haruto grinned. "By the way, would you like this painting?" Haruto fumbled around with his hands and dropped his lunch in the process. "It's a painting that Ako-san drew while she was in high school. It was hung at Higashikou for a while – her family gave it to me." Haruto pointed to Aya. "This is Aya-san."

Mizuki shook her head. "No. You keep it – Aya means more to you than to me."

Haruto nodded. "Yes, that's true, but Aya's dream was always to help people. I think that her dream would be put to better use helping you get better than helping me cry. Anyway, since your my patient, I'll be in this room often."

Mizuki nodded. "All right, then. Good night, sensei."

Haruto smiled. "Good night, Mizuki-chan. Sleep tight! Don't sneak out again."

"But I still can't sleep!"

"Daijoubu." Haruto replied.

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**How was it? Was it bad? I think it was...my first time attempting to write a fic on a foreign-language media. Oh well, please review!**


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